Hi all,

Still working on my 'Big Hatch' Russian M4A2 w/75mm 'High Bustle' turret and have a question. When did the 75mm turrets start to have .50cal storage added to the rear of the turret (and where was it stored prior to this?)? I thought that being an M4A2, I'd be able to locate pictures of Marine tanks from about the same period and determine if I should have the rear mounted 'socket' for the .50cal, BUT it doesn't look like Marine M4A2s had these because (I'm guessing here) they needed to keep the rear of the turret clear for wading gear. I know later 76mm turreted M4A2s sent to Russia had standard 'socket' storage. Is it possible that as 'High Bustle' M4A2s were being built, the factories didn't know where they would be sent (Marines or Lend Lease to Russia) so the rear storage 'socket' was just left off?? Pics I have of Marine M4A2s don't seem to show a place where the 'socket' was originally and then removed.

Thanks again for reading this long winded, but hopefully interesting (at least to me... Ha, Ha) post.

Bryan Starkey